For District 4 Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger, fixing traffic headaches on Pensacola Beach is personal and political.
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She said complaints about weekend gridlock were among the most common concerns she heard while campaigning. Now, she’s following through with a newly-approved contract to bring in traffic engineers and start reshaping the visitor experience.
“My goal is to make visiting Pensacola Beach easy and accessible for all of Escambia County,” Hofberger told WUWF.
A kickoff meeting with the selected engineering firm is expected within the next 30 days. That session will help define a full project timeline.
“I have a marketing degree with a passion for our community,” she said. “I have absolutely no skills in traffic management so I’m excited to see what proposals the professionals come up with.”
One thing she’s confident in: traffic volume is no longer a seasonal concern.
Hofberger pointed to recent traffic data showing that early May 2025 saw a record-breaking beach day, outpacing even the Blue Angels weekend. She said that kind of surge is becoming more common.
“Specifically, those [high-traffic days] have quadrupled since 2018," she added. "I am confident this new plan will help the traffic patterns adapt to the influx (of) visitors to the beach.”
She said a roundabout is most likely off the table, but a parking garage isn’t ruled out. A feasibility study will evaluate whether such a structure can relieve pressure on Casino Beach and nearby lots.
“It is a delicate balance of providing adequate beach access and protecting our sandy shorelines,” she said. “Whatever we do [must] preserve and protect the beach while promoting our valuable tourism economy.”
And beach access, she emphasized, must be equitable. That includes people without cars.
“I am thrilled to say that ECAT provides free beach bus route throughout the summer,” Hofberger said. “We have also applied for additional grants for mass transit and are waiting to hear back whether we are a good candidate.”
At the moment, traffic success is measured using drive times between local landmarks and the toll plaza, places like Peg Leg Pete’s and Chick-fil-A. That will likely continue, but Hofberger said the selected engineering firm will recommend more detailed metrics and new ways to integrate technology.
More information is expected after the kickoff meeting.
